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Military Health and Health Care

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As a large employer in the United States, the Department of Defense faces significant challenges ensuring that all members of the military, as well as their families, receive appropriate health care for everything from general health and well-being to specialized clinical care for deployment related injuries such as amputations, chemically induced illnesses, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Combining its expertise in health and defense policy, RAND examines policy issues surrounding military medical care needs and the systems intended to meet them.

Most community-based mental health providers are not well prepared to take care of the special needs of military veterans and their families. A national survey found that few providers met criteria for military cultural competency or used evidence-based approaches to treat problems commonly seen among veterans.

Noncommissioned officers (NCOs) in the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps were surveyed to identify their ability and willingness to identify, intervene on behalf of, and refer fellow soldiers and marines at risk of suicide.

Given the VA's desire to promote evidence-based practice, this evidence mapping project will help provide guidance to VA leadership about the distribution of evidence to inform policy and clinical decision making.

Researchers have made great progress capturing the consequences of coping with injuries sustained in the theater of war, but the emerging picture is shadowed in grays. A series of recent findings presents a bleak portrait of the cost of modern war to service members, their families, and their health care providers.

This paper presents a study protocol to evaluate the implementation of an evidence-based, co-occurring disorder treatment called Maintaining Independence and Sobriety Through Systems Integration, Outreach, and Networking--Veterans Edition (MISSION-Vet) in HUD-VASH using an implementation strategy called Getting To Outcomes (GTO).

Faith-based organizations are an important resource for veterans as they readjust to civilian life. Interviews reveal how they address diverse areas of veteran health and well-being, and suggest ways to better integrate them into the web of support.

'God Is Not Here' shows how not to send a soldier to war. The experience is searing and often brutal, and only a well-led, well-trained, cohesive unit can help servicemen and servicewomen do their duty and survive both mentally and physically.

Veterans and their families face many barriers to mental health care. Partnerships between a public agency, such as the VA, and a private organization, such as a private hospital, have been discussed as a potential solution. What are the key components for successful public-private partnerships?

The report evaluates implementation of a clinician training program to improve care for Navy personnel with co-occurring disorders. Results suggest careful planning for training initiatives could increase implementation of evidence-based practice.

More than 60 percent of service members don't get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep per night. About a third get by on five hours or less. The military, and society at large, needs to recognize the importance of sleep as a crucial link to physical and mental well-being.

Thanks to a growing list of more than 100 organizations that have pledged their commitment as members of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation's National Coalition for Military Caregivers, our nation is taking long overdue action to support both our wounded warriors and those who care for them.

This review summarizes the epidemiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related mental health problems among persons who served in the armed forces during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

Researchers conducted an outcome evaluation of the Marine Corps Operational Stress Control and Readiness program, which trains officers and noncommissioned officers to recognize Marines showing signs of stress and intervene early.

Delivering quality health care to service members with posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder is a high priority for the Military Health System. A conceptual framework and candidate set of measures to monitor, assess, and improve the quality of care can help the MHS in its efforts.

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Director of Operations, Global Research Talent

Stuart Olmsted is director of operations for global research talent and a senior natural scientist at the RAND Corporation. He works on science and technology policy issues in education and health. Olmsted's recent research includes measuring laboratory capacity to respond to bioterrorism…

Associate Behavioral and Social Scientist

Bill Marcellino is an associate social and behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Marcellino was trained as a sociolinguist and discourse analyst and received his Ph.D. in rhetoric from Carnegie Mellon University. He has conducted…

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